See the Sea

See the Sea, a 1997 short film by Francois Ozon, finds the perfect balance of waxing nastiness and waning tranquility. Like many European thrillers that make their way to American audiences, it depicts an idealized bourgeoisie under attack from chaos-spreading underclass monsters. Sasha Hails stars as Sasha, a young British mother vacationing with her infant on the French coast in a delightful summer cottage. The film makes breathtaking use of the physical surroundings, drawing us into Sasha's connection to her baby (Hails' real-life daughter) via their naturalistic interactions on the beach. Mother and child, alone in nature- albeit an eroticized, idyllic corner of nature. That is, until Tatiana, a drifter, shows up, asking to pitch her tent on Sasha's lawn. Tatiana is portrayed by the film's co-writer, Marina De Van, who was the naturally fanged, self-cannibalizing goddess of 2002's tour-de-force In My Skin. Whereas in the latter film, De Van displayed unctuous, queasy bourgeois self-destructiveness, here, she is pure, dead-eyed evil-- devoid of empathy, manners, and decency. The film is elitist, in how it contrasts the surly grubbiness of Tatiana with the moisturized charm of Sasha, but in the end, it is the emotional limits of Sasha's lifestyle, and her condescending need to "help" Tatiana that exposes her and her child to danger. Ozon constantly builds tension and suspense through minimal dialogue and perfectly timed takes. His ability to observe the intoxicating surroundings and physicality of the characters makes See the Sea a raw, tactile experience, presenting chaos, in the form of sexuality and/or violence, on the corners of every frame. But it is ultimately De Van's wholly sinister presence that elevates the film's sensuality to terrifying depths and completes Ozon's vision.